Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission should have announced the results 48 hours after the polls were closed but it was delayed for unclear reasons.
There have some reports of irregularities at the polling stations that may have caused the delay.
The Commission had announced earlier that the turnout which stood at 44 percent was lower than any other elections since 2003. The record low turnout was partly blamed on a curfew and restrictions on movement of vehicle.
According to the initial results, the ‘Sairoon’ Coalition, supported by Muqtada Sadr, and Hadi al-Amiri bloc 'Fatah', who is close to the Popular Mobilization Forces, are leading the majority of Iraqi provinces in the Sunday parliamentary elections.
Prime Minister Abadi’s Nasr (Victory) Coalition appeared to be in the third place according to figures from 10 provinces.
In multi-ethnic oil-rich province of Kirkuk, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) previously led by former Iraq President Jalal Talabani is reported to have won the clear majority of votes. While in Erbil and Duhok provinces, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Masoud Barzani has won the elections. Meanwhile, the PUK along with other smaller parties are reported to have won the elections in other Kurdish province of Sulaymaniyah.
More than 7,000 candidates were running for 329 parliamentary seats in 18 governorates.
In a statement published on Monday, Iran’s embassy in Iraq congratulated the successful Iraq’s parliamentary election.
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